Seminar themes
The themes below are some examples of mechanisms that could work contradictory within design research. The aim of this seminar is to investigate how design and design research address these, and other, issues and their potentially inherent contradictions by answering questions such as: “How can we identify and use paradoxes to further develop design research?” and “Are the results and methods from design research really employed in design practice?”

The paradox of creativity and normativity
The paradox of sustainable design
The paradox of design as communication
The paradox of innovation and improvement

We invite design researchers, professional designers, and other practitioners within the design community to send in working papers on these, and related issues. We also encourage participants to identify other mechanisms that work contradictory within their own practice and reflect on whether they are obstructions, challenges, opportunities, or necessities.